Agenda item

This report seeks member agreement of the updates to the draft Local Plan policies from the Draft Local Plan Regulation 18 Part 1: Preferred Policy Options document. The policies were amended in response to changes to national planning policy, comments received as part of the Regulation 18 consultation and consideration at Local Plan Sub-Committee meetings in 2022 and 2023. The majority of these policies were then brought to Local Plan Sub-Committees throughout the summer of 2024. Further changes have been made to some of these policies following discussions at Local Plan Sub-Committees earlier this year. Additionally, this report seeks member agreement of a number of other policies that have not been brought to the 2024 round of Local Plan Sub-Committees.

 

Recommendation:

 

That the Local Plan Sub-Committee note the contents of the report, and recommends to the Policy and Resources Committee the following policy updates:

 

·            Residential Design and Layout

·            Chiltern Beechwoods SAC

·            Heritage and Historic Environment

·            Advertisements

·            Deliveries, Servicing and Construction

·            Ground Conditions, Contamination and Pollution

·            Northwood Headquarters

·            Green Belt

·            Green Belt Appendix

·            Provision for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople

·            Green and Blue Infrastructure

·            Housing Density

·            Trees, Woodlands, Hedgerows and Landscaping

·            Broadband and Electronic Communications

·            Sustainable Transport and Travel

·            Open Space, Play Space and Recreation

·            Retail and Leisure

·            Affordable Housing

·            First Homes

·            Employment and Economic Development

·            Biodiversity

·            Renewable and Low Carbon Energy Development

·            Vision for Three Rivers and Strategic Objectives

·            Overarching Policy on Sustainable Development

The Senior Planning Officer spoke to the report, which presented updates to the draft Local Plan policies from the Draft Local Plan Regulation 18 Part 1: Preferred Policy Options document.  The majority of the policies (appendices 1-20) had previously been considered at meetings of the Local Plan Sub-Committee during summer 2024; the report set out the further changes which had been made as a result of those meetings.  A small number of other policies were attached (appendices 21-24) which had not been brought to the summer 2024 round of Local Plan Sub-Committees.

 

The Chair thanked the Three Rivers Joint Residents’ Association for its helpful input and advance notice of a number of suggested minor changes, which officers would take into consideration.  Jon Bishop, Chair of the Three Rivers Joint Residents’ Association addressed the sub-committee to present the suggested changes.

 

The sub-committee asked questions and agreed amendments to the draft policies as shown below.

 

Appendix 2 – Chiltern Beechwoods SAC Policy

 

In response to questions about why Dacorum and St Albans both applied this policy where there was more than 10 in a development, whereas in Three Rivers the policy was 100, officers responded that the reason for this, as well as for the removal of the concept of SAMM within the policy, had been informed by Natural England’s response to the Council and was on the basis that Three Rivers did not form part of the strategic solution to the Beechwoods SAC.

 

Appendix 4 – Advertisements

 

Officers to look at amending the wording of point 5 to ‘Advertisements, and shop fronts and displays must:’

 

Appendix 11 – Green and Blue Infrastructure Policy

 

The words ‘where appropriate’ to be replaced with ‘where possible’ and the words ‘where appropriate’ to be removed from policy point 6.

 

Appendix 12 – Housing Density Policy

 

Point 2 to refer to ‘net housing density’ rather than ‘housing density’.

 

Appendix 19 – First Homes

 

Officers to check whether the criteria for demonstrating a local connection at paragraph 19.9 of having had permanent work with a minimum of a 16 hour contract per week for the previous 6 months was required by law, or whether a period longer than 6 months could be specified, and amend the policy if possible.

 

Appendix 21 – Biodiversity Policy

 

Officers, in consultation with Herts Ecology, to look at strengthening the wording of point 12 to seek to take account of the relative status of species and provide additional protection for red list, threatened or endangered species.

 

Officers to look at whether the benefits referred to at point 7 could refer specifically to public benefits.

 

Officers to look at amending the wording of policy point 8 to refer to ‘specific location’, with no other location existing which could meet the need.  Therefore, the last two lines of the policy point should read: ‘…for the development in that specific location, no other possible location exists that could meet the need and the benefit of the development clearly outweighs the loss or harm.’

 

Appendix 23 – Vision for Three Rivers and Strategic Objectives

 

A further point to be added to the strategic objectives ‘to ensure that the biodiversity of the district is protected’, with a specific focus on vulnerable species.

 

Officers to look at amending the wording in the first objective relating to ‘rented affordable homes and family-sized homes’ to instead refer to ‘socially rented homes and smaller family-sized homes.’

 

Officers to review the wording of the second sentence of the third objective relating to previously developed land, which doesn’t seem to make sense. 

 

Officers to review this wording relating to ‘edge of settlement’ sites later in the same paragraph.  This should either refer to ‘sustainable edge of settlement sites’ or be removed completely.

 

A strategic objective to protect the Green Belt to be added.

 

Appendix 24 – Overarching Policy on Sustainable Development

 

An addition to be made to point 3(e) to discourage replacement of usable existing buildings where re-use and renovation could achieve the same outcome.

 

Point 3(f) be amended to include a phrase about the protection of vulnerable species.

 

RESOLVED: 

 

That the Local Plan Sub-Committee notes the contents of the report and recommends to the Policy and Resources Committee the following policy updates as amended above and subject to further clarification to be provided by officers in relation to points noted above:

 

·            Residential Design and Layout

·            Chiltern Beechwoods SAC

·            Heritage and Historic Environment

·            Advertisements

·            Deliveries, Servicing and Construction

·            Ground Conditions, Contamination and Pollution

·            Northwood Headquarters

·            Green Belt

·            Green Belt Appendix

·            Provision for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople

·            Green and Blue Infrastructure

·            Housing Density

·            Trees, Woodlands, Hedgerows and Landscaping

·            Broadband and Electronic Communications

·            Sustainable Transport and Travel

·            Open Space, Play Space and Recreation

·            Retail and Leisure

·            Affordable Housing

·            First Homes

·            Employment and Economic Development

·            Biodiversity

·            Renewable and Low Carbon Energy Development

·            Vision for Three Rivers and Strategic Objectives

·            Overarching Policy on Sustainable Development